Decontamination apparatus door unit

Abstract

A decontamination device (10) including a housing (12) and a chamber (16) for receiving articles to be decontaminated by at least one of washing, disinfecting and sterilizing. A control pad (20) for an operator to input control instructions for controlling decontamination cycles to which the articles are subjected. The control pad being disposed adjacent an exterior of the housing and being accessible to the operator through an opening (24) in the housing (12). A door (30) covering the opening (24) and being hingedly attached to the decontamination device by a mechanism (26) disposed entirely within the housing when the door is in a closed position. The mechanism (26) can be a leaf spring (36) having a first end connected with a pivot pin (42) to the door (30) and a second end secured to an internal region (40) of the housing (12). During opening and closing of the door, the lower edge (48) of the door, in cooperation with the outer panel of housing (12), provides a cam type action which causes bending of the leaf spring (36) and allows travel of a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin (42) outwardly and inwardly relative to the housing (12) as the door (30) is opened and closed respectively, and allows about 180° of rotation of the door between open and closed positions. The door can include a horizontal slot (34) through which a paper tape (32) of a printer (22) is fed.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment, the invention is now claimed to be: 
     
       1. A decontamination device including a housing, a chamber in said housing for receiving articles to be decontaminated by at least one of washing, disinfecting and sterilizing, a control pad for an operator to input control instructions which control decontamination cycles that the articles are subjected to, the control pad being disposed adjacent an exterior of said housing and being accessible to the operator through an opening in said housing, and a door covering said opening, said door being attached to a biasing mechanism, said biasing mechanism including a first end secured to an interior of said housing and a second end having a hinge connection to said door, wherein said door includes a lower edge extending below the hinge connection such that downward rotation of a top edge of said door results in the lower edge of the door engaging the housing and acting to cam the hinge connection outward and distend a flexible spring member to bias the pivot connection toward the housing, said biasing mechanism being disposed entirely within said housing when said door is in a closed position and said door having no other hinge connections to said housing.   
     
     
       2. The decontamination device of claim 1 wherein said door is mounted flush with an external surface of said housing in a closed position.   
     
     
       3. The decontamination device of claim 2 wherein said flexible spring member includes a leaf spring. 
     
     
       4. The decontamination device of claim 1 wherein said biasing mechanism includes a rigid L-shaped arm pivotally connected to an internal portion of said housing. 
     
     
       5. The decontamination device of claim 1 wherein the door includes: a horizontal slot through which a paper tape from a printer is fed;   a horizontal lower edge which rotatably and slidably engages an outer face of the housing such that the door is generally pivotally movable therearound.   
     
     
       6. The decontamination device of claim 5 further including: a spring connected to the biasing mechanism for biasing the door toward the housing in a closed position and when the door is rotated 180° about a lower edge to an open position.   
     
     
       7. The decontamination device of claim 2 wherein the biasing mechanism includes: a J-shaped leaf spring that is pivotally connected at one end to the door and fixedly connected adjacent an opposed end to the housing.   
     
     
       8. An apparatus for cleaning, disinfecting or sterilizing comprising: an outer housing which has an opening for receiving items to be cleaned, disinfected or sterilized and a port;   a door covering the port, said door having a horizontally disposed pivot pin on a lower portion of an interior surface thereof and a lower edge extending below said pivot pin and engaging an outer wall of said housing;   a leaf spring having a first end connected with the pivot pin and a second end secured to an internal region of said housing, such that said lower edge engages said outer wall of said housing and during opening and closing of said door provides a cam action which causes bending of said leaf spring and allows travel of a longitudinal axis of said pivot pin outwardly and inwardly relative to the housing as the door is opened and closed respectively, and allows about 180° of rotation of said door between open and closed positions.   
     
     
       9. A decontamination device for washing, disinfecting or sterilizing having a housing containing at least one of a control panel or a printer covered by a door, the invention further comprising: the door having as an only attachment to said device a hinged connection to a moveable member secured to an interior surface of said housing, said moveable member allowing travel of at least said hinged connection to said door to facilitate about 180° of rotation around said hinged connection wherein a bottom edge of said door abuts said housing and provides a camming motion during opening and closing of said door.   
     
     
       10. The decontamination device of claim 9 wherein said moveable member includes at least one flexible portion. 
     
     
       11. The decontamination device of claim 9 wherein said moveable member further includes a pivot connection to said housing. 
     
     
       12. The decontamination device of claim 9 wherein said hinged connection is disposed internally of said housing when said door is in a closed position. 
     
     
       13. The decontamination device of claim 12 wherein said hinged connection is disposed externally of said housing when said door is in an open position. 
     
     
       14. The decontamination device of claim 9 including a slot to accommodate a paper feed in said door. 
     
     
       15. The decontamination device of claim 9 wherein said travel is sufficient to facilitate at least about 180° of rotation around said pivot connection. 
     
     
       16. The decontamination device of claim 9 wherein said door includes a top and bottom portion and said pivot connection is located adjacent said bottom portion. 
     
     
       17. A method of decontaminating articles by at least one of washing, disinfecting and sterilizing comprising: providing a chamber for receiving the articles to be decontaminated;   providing a housing around said chamber which has an opening for positioning the articles in the chamber; providing at least one of a control panel or a printer adjacent said housing and accessible to an operator through a port in said housing;   providing a door covering the port, said door having a horizontally disposed pivot pin on a lower portion of an interior surface and a lower edge extending below said pivot pin and engaging an outer wall of said housing, a leaf spring having a first end connected with the pivot pin and a second end secured to an internal region of said housing during opening and closing of said door, such that said lower edge provides a cam action which causes bending of said leaf spring and allows travel of a longitudinal axis of said pivot pin outwardly and inwardly relative to the housing as the door is opened and closed respectively, and allows about 180° of rotation of said door between open and closed positions; and   placing the articles in said chamber and decontaminating the articles and selectively, and periodically, controlling or monitoring said decontaminating by opening said door to adjust said control panel or service said printer.